Water-wheel.



Patented Oct. 23, I900.

- F. TRUMP. WATER WHEEL.

(Application filed Apr. 13, 1900.)

(No Model.)

M E T Q 1 w a. ks wpw.

UNITED STATES OFFICE.

FULLER TRUMP, or S RINGFIEII OHIO.

WATER-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110,660,282, dated October23. 1900.

Applipation filed April 13, 19QQ. :Se rial No. 12,685. (No model.) I ITo all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FULLER TRUMP, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Clark and State of,

Ohio, having invented certain new and useful Improvements inWater-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for counterbalancing the end thrust orpressure upon the step or bearings of turbine water-wheels, andespecially to a counterbalance which operates automatically by thepressure of the water.

In the ordinary form of turbine Water- Wheels there is considerable endthrust on pressure in the direction of the flow of the water through thewheel. or pressure causes undue friction and wear on the step or in thebearings of the wheel and results in the loss of power. This isespecially true in wheels of the single-discharge type, in which theentire force or current of the water tends in one direction; and toovercome or counterbalance this end thrust by water-pressure is theobject of my invention, and I attain the same by the constructions andcombinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a gen eral view showing therelation of my balancing device to the water-wheel and necessaryaccessories. Fig. 2 represents a vertical sec tional view of mycounterbalancing device. Fig. 3 is a detail plan View of the perforateddisk forming the bottom of the housing for diaphragm. Fig. 4 is a detailview of the collar with flange having openings foroutletvalve. Fig. 5 isa detail of the outlet-valve, showing arrangement of weighted lever.Fig. 6 is a detail of the thrust-bearing and inletvalve. l

Like parts are represented by similar letters of reference in theseveral views.

In the drawings, (1 represents the penstock of, the inlet-pipe; a thedraft-chest.

0. represents the Water-wheel casing, and b is my improved balancingdevice.

b is the shaft upon which the water-wheel is mounted.

In constructing my balancing device I employ a chamber formed by aperforated disk This end thrust I rounds the shaftb, as shown in Fig. 1.Inside of this housing, rigidly mounted on shaft b, is a diaphragm c,the outer edge of which b? and the bell-shaped housing b which surisadapted to contact at times with a suit- I- able bearing-ring on theperforated disk I) to receive the pressure from the diaphragm andprevent the water from flowing into the chamber behind said diaphragm,thus practically forming both a bearing to receive the 1 preferably ofbrass, formsthe circular chamber c. There is a wooden loose bearing f onthe shaft b. This bearing f is surrounded by a flanged collar f,preferably of brass,

which is of such size as to have a loose sliding fit with the collar(1', the flangeof which collar contains a plurality of openings (1 as Inthe drawings 1 have shown in Fig. 4. The flanged collar f, inconjunction with the flanged collar d, forms an outlet-valve for mybalancing device. It is apparent that by making the shoulder on thewooden bearing f of sufficient size to cover the openings in the flangeof the collar d the collar f may be dispensed with. By means of aweighted bell-lever g, acting on the outer ends of a plurality(preferablytwo) of pins g,

passing through the housing b the inner end of which pins rest againstthe ends of the loose bearing f and the flanged collar f, theoutlet-valve is givena tendency to remain open. The exhaust or wastepipe h leads from the circular chamber a to the Water-wheel casing a Inoperation whatever pressure is being exerted on the waterwheel the waterpassing through the perforation of the. disk 19 will exert a similarpressureon the diaphragm c, and the area of; the diaphragm being made tocorrespond with the area of the wheel the 1 pressure will be equal. Thechamber behind the diaphragm 0 being practically emptyand the resistancefrom this direction being slight, the diaphragm will have a tendency tomove in a direction away from the Wheel, but being rigidly attached tothe shaft it will carry IOO a sedate the shaft and wheel with it, (aslight play or movement of the parts being provided for.) As thediaphragm moves in this direction it allows the water to enter betweenthe edge of the diaphragm c and the valve-seat 0 into the chamber behindthe diaphragm c. When the pressure in this chamber behind the diaphragm0 equals that in the penstock or on the outer side of the diaphragm,said diaphragm, by reason of its being attached to the wheel-shaft andthe tendency of the wheel to be carried with the flow of the water, willtend to approach the valve-seat c and allow the outlet-valve under theaction of the weighted bell-lever g to open. Thus the water in thechamber behind the diaphragmc' will be allowed to escape into thecircular chamber 6 and through the exhaust or waste pipe h into thewater-wheel casing a Thus it will readily be seen that an equilibriumwill be maintained between the pressure in one direction upon the Wheeland in the other direction upon the diaphragm c. The orifice of theinlet-valve is to the orifice of the outlet-valve as the pressureagainst the outer side of the diaphragm is to the pressure in theopposite direction-4. e., as the pressure against the outer side of thediaphragm increases the orifice of the inlet-valve will increase andthat of the outlet-valve decrease, and when the chamber is filled andthe pressure is in the opposite direction the orifice of the inlet-valvewill decrease and that of the outlet-valve increase.

The perforated disk I) prevents the admission of trash or otherobstacles to the diaphragm-chamber, and as a further provision againstsuch obstructions the brass seat 0 is preferably made with a shoulder ato conform with the wooden valve-seat c, as,shown in Fig. 6.

It is quite obvious that this device may be used with equal success inconnection with avertical wheel as with the horizontal wheel shown inthe drawings.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as follows:

1. In a water-wheel balance, the combination with a water-wheel of adiaphragm rigidly connected thereto, but free to move therewith, ahousing of which said diaphragm forms one side, an inlet and outletvalve in said housing adapted to be automatically regulated by thepressure of the water on said diaphragm, substantially as specified.

2. In a waterwheel balance, the combination with awater-wheel rigidlymounted upon a shaft, of a diaphragm also rigidly mounted upon saidshaft, the combination being free to move slightly in a longitudinaldirection, a housing surrounding said diaphragm, a valve-seat in saidhousing formed in connection with said diaphragm, an inlet-valve, anoutlet-valve and an exhaust-pipe communicating therewith, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

3. In a water-wheel balance, a diaphragm rigidly mounted on thewater-wheel shaft,

said diaphragm forming one side of a watertight compartment, an inletand outlet valve in said compartment, the one opening as the othercloses, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a water-wheel balance, the combination with a water-wheel and itsshaft of a diaphragm mounted thereon, the said combi nation beingpermitted a slight longitudinal movement, a housing provided with a seator bearing for said diaphragm, the diaphragm forming one side of saidhousing and in connection with said seat or bearing an inlet valve tosaid chamber, a recess in said housing a flanged collar formingtherewith an outlet-Valve, means by which said valve is operated by thehorizontal movement of the shaft,

and. an exhaustpipe leading from outletvalve, substantially asspecified.

5. The combination of a water-wheel and a shaft, a. diaphragm connectedto said shaft, and means including a valve for varying the pressure onthe diaphragm by the longitudinal movement of the shaft, substantiallyas specified.

6. In a penstock, the combination with a water-wheel and its shaft, of adiaphragm mounted rigidly on said shaft, a metal seat or bearing on.said diaphragm adjacent to the periphery thereof, a housing for said diaphragm, a chamber in said housing, a perforated disk on the seat side ofsaid diaphragm forming the bottom of said housing, a seat or bearing insaid perforated disk to contact with and receive the pressure of themetal seat or bearing of said diaphragm, forming therewith aninlet-valve for the chamber of said housing, an outlet-valve in thechamber of said housing and means for operating the same, substantiallyas and for the purpose specified.

7. In a penstock, the combination with a water-wheel and its shaft, of adiaphragm rigidly attached to said shaft, a bell -shaped housing forsaid diaphragm, a chamber in said housing, an inlet-valve formed by saiddiaphragm and a seat in the bottom of said housing, a loose woodenbearing in said chamher for said shaft, one end of which rests againstthe inner side of said diaphragm and having a shoulder thereon, a plainmetal collar with a flange at its inner end adapted to fit said woodenbearing and rest against the shoulder on'same, a metal collar with. aperforated flange at its inner end adapted to fit said plain collar andrest against and to be covered by the flange of said plain collar, arecess in the head of said housing forming with said plain andperforated flanged collars an outlet-valve for the chamber of saidhousing, a weighted lever outside of said housing m phragm and wheel torelieve said wheel from end thrust, ,by the longitudinal movement of pthe shaft on which said diaphragm and wheel are mounted, substantiallyas specified.

- In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 2d day of April,A. D. 1900.

FULLER TRUMP.

Witnessesi GHAs, I. Wan-0H, CLIFTON P. GRANT;

